Fish-Fragrant Eggplant ????

Now before you say how strange this sounds, just wait a minute.  This is one of Sichuan's famous dishes, fried eggplant in a lovely fragrant sauce.  There really is no fish in it.  The name, I believe, came from originally using these flavors for cooking fish.  It is one of our restaurant favorites and this version turned tasting just like the restaurant version.  This makes one dish for your Chinese meal.

2 decent sized eggplants, or a few thin Oriental eggplants
salt
oil
1 1/2 T. chili bean paste (douban jiang)
1 T. finely chopped fresh ginger
1 T. finely chopped fresh garlic
2/3 cup cooking stock (use water from cooking meat or water with some chicken bullion added)
1 1/2 tsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. light soy sauce
1 rounded teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 T. cold water
1 1/2 tsp. dark vinegar
4 green onions, green parts only, sliced into fine rings
1 tsp. sesame oil

  • Prepare the eggplant by slicing into chunks 3" long and 1" thick or so.  Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp. salt and let sit for 30 min. to draw out the bitter juices.  Drain and pat dry.  If you are using Oriental eggplant you can skip this step.
  • Measure the chili bean paste, chop the garlic, ginger and green onion.  Place this all on a plate in little piles ready to add.
  • Mix the cooking stock, sugar and soy sauce.  Also prepare the cornstarch and water mixture.  Set these aside.
  • Heat enough oil for deep frying in the wok.  When the oil is hot, add the eggplant in batches and deep fry for 3-4 min. until golden on the outside and soft on the inside.  For a less oily version, heat a little oil in a non-stick pan and fry the eggplant that way.  Just be careful not to burn them.  Remove and drain on paper towel.  Note: eggplant absorbs a lot of oil!
  • Drain off the deep-frying oil, leaving 2-3 T. in the wok and return to high heat.  Add the chili bean paste and fry for about 20 seconds until the oil is red and fragrant.  Then add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for another 20-30 seconds until they are fragrant.  Be careful not to burn the flavorings, turn the heat down or move the wok off for a bit if necessary.
  • Add the cooking stock, sugar and soy sauce mixture and mix well.  Taste and season with salt if necessary.  Note: the chili bean paste is quite salty and I didn't need to add any salt.
  • Add the fried eggplant pieces and simmer gently for a few minutes to absorb the flavors.
  • Add the cornstarch mixture and stir gently to thicken the sauce.
  • Then stir in the vinegar and green onions and leave for a bit just until the onions have lost their rawness.
  • Last of all remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.  Pour onto a serving platter and serve immediately.
Variation:  You can also arrange the fried eggplant pieces neatly on a platter and keep warm while you make the sauce.  Then pour the finished sauce over the eggplant pieces and serve.


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